Past Gardens

Branches Of Me is an extension of our low waste living practices. With an eco-sewing business and a family of four, our weekly goal is to have no more than one bag a week in the red bin. This is mostly achieved from the garden. All of my sewing scraps, food scraps and garden scraps are composted and recreated into beautiful soil for my garden, which will then produce our food, so the circle continues on.

Organic market garden using permaculture principles and diverse hedgerows. Michael and Alison sell their organic veggies and microgreens at their farmgate, roadside stall and Farmers Markets. The property includes large onsite compost and seedling production and a young but expansive food forest.

East Gosford Community Garden is a family friendly, welcoming space with wicking beds, no dig gardens, lots of flowers and an enclosed citrus and vegetable garden area. It’s also a lovely place to share a picnic lunch, as the space also includes a picnic and childrens’ natural timber play area and plenty of shaded grassy space.

This accessible garden features so many elements including multiple raised beds, chickens, native bees and a large ephemeral pond. Synergy Permaculture Patch is used for educational workshops and is a relaxing and inspirational space.

Follow the walking trail around the ecovillage to visit the 8 stops including six home gardens, the community gardens in the Triplespan and the Scribbly Gum Food Forest. Showcasing a diversity of garden styles, all of the gardens are five years old or less but constantly evolving. Gardens have everything from raised garden beds, food forests, a market garden, guild plantings, new and established fruit and nut trees, chooks, and all forms of composting and soil improvement methods.

NEV – Candy’s Earthship Garden

Candy’s Earthship includes a built-in greenhouse which provides wonderful opportunities for integrating house and garden. Candy’s garden and greenhouse includes wicking beds and mixed plantings of berries, medicinal plants, vegetables, and teas. The Earthship is five years old.

NEV – Tony & Teresa’s Garden: Terraced Beds & Creative Design

This beautiful and productive garden is 5 years old and continues to be developed. Featuring an ingenious and attractive crop protection system, espalier fruit trees, herbs and vegetables, the terraced beds take advantage of the north facing slope and improves access to the garden.

NEV – John’s Productive Patch: Raised Beds, Citrus & Smart Design

John’s newly established garden includes raised vegetable beds, herbs, citrus and fruit trees. John is an experienced gardener who always grows productively wherever he lives.

NEV – Lorraine’s Garden Oasis: A Blend of Edibles & Wildlife

Located down a set of timber stairs with views to the floodplain and beyond, Lorraine’s garden is a mix of wildlife habitat and edible plantings. Her garden includes a dry herb bed, in-garden worm farm, vegetables, fruit trees and herbs.

NEV – Geoff’s Hemp House

Located on a sweeping bend in Narara Eco Village, this 4-year-old garden features a wide variety of fruit trees, veggie gardens, wicking beds, frog habitat, and deciduous fruiting vines enhancing the passive solar design of the 8.8 Star hempcrete home. Terracing takes advantage of the north facing slope and improves access to the garden.

Productive, permaculture food garden with bunnies, chickens, fish, insects, and mushrooms. A medium-sized block amongst the gum trees (with lots of plum trees!) that backs onto a Rumbalara reserve filled with wildlife.

The Terrigal Uniting Permaculture Patch (TUPP) was established on land owned by the Terrigal Uniting Church in June 2023. It operates as a community garden using permaculture principles to the best of our knowledge and ability. In the short space of eighteen months we have built seven raised garden beds, a long hugelkultur (a mound for planting), composting bays and a small shed. We have a worm farm to provide fertiliser. We have landscaped stairs into the slope. The garden was designed by Paul Buckley to harness the water flow on the slope.

Nestled in Booker Bay, this 8m x 3m edible garden is a thriving and productive space that supplies Pachamama Catering, a garden-to-plate food business dedicated to fresh, seasonal ingredients. Every inch is carefully utilised, blending permaculture principles with a passion for sustainable growing. Originally a simple grassy lawn when Ali purchased the property in 2019, the garden has since been transformed with the guidance of her partner, Marcelo, a dedicated permaculture student. Now, climbing passionfruit vines sprawl along the fence, while papaya trees add a tropical touch. A rich diversity of herbs, edible flowers, and specialty greens flourish, providing an abundance of fresh, organic, colourful produce for the kitchen.

In under five years this typical suburban yard has been mulched and planted into a haven for myself, my community and my local wildlife. We house chickens which are dual purpose (eggs & meat) and have adopted a style of vege gardening which suits our climate and individual needs. This is all achieved in a very limited space of under fifty square metres. My vision for this garden has always been to support habitat for wildlife amidst the urban sprawl. Despite the sandy soils, saline winds and the harsh heat of the Peninsula we have managed to support hundreds of indigenous plants species, including rainforest bush foods.

Cottage style edible garden with perennials, annuals and fruit trees interspersed. Vertical growing and wildlife protection in use, chickens with deep litter system, ponds and food is free verge garden.

13 year old Community Garden with extensive food forests, many raised beds for annuals, a meditative space enclosed by a herb spiral, wonderful infrastructure including a secure seed bank, outdoor gathering space under shady trees, friendly faces and community spirit a plenty. Wheelchair accessible